The 23rd Korean Music Awards was held in Seoul, South Korea on February 26, 2026. Hosted by the Korean Music Awards Selection Committee and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, the ceremony recognized the best music released in South Korea between December 1, 2024, and November 30, 2025.
Unlike other South Korean music awards, the Korean Music Awards are based on musical achievement rather than record sales. Winners are determined by the Korean Music Awards Selection Committee, which comprises music critics, radio show producers, academics, and other music industry professionals. Nominations were announced on February 5, 2026, through its official website and YouTube channel.
Hyperpop musician Effie is the most nominated artist with six nominations. Singer-songwriter Lee Chan-hyuk is the biggest winner of the night, winning three awards including Song of the Year for "Endangered Love". Sosuminjok by Chudahye Chagis won Album of the Year, Singer-songwriter Hanroro won Musician of the Year, while Huijun Woo won Rookie of the Year.
Winners and nominees Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡). Nominees are listed in alphabetical order.2026 Nominees: General field: Genre categories:
General field Chudahye Chagis – (Sosuminjok) ‡ Effie – Pullup to Busan 4 More Hyper Summer It's Gonna Be a Fuckin Movie Huijun Woo – Pumping of Heart is Torturing Jennie – Ruby Kwon Tree – The Fragrance of Life Lee Chan-hyuk – Eros Lee Chan-hyuk – "Endangered Love" ‡ Chudahye Chagis – "Heosse!" Huijun Woo – "Spacious House" Jennie – "Like Jennie" Nmixx – "Blue Valentine" Hanroro ‡ Effie Jennie Lee Chan-hyuk Nmixx Huijun Woo ‡ AllDay Project Gongwon Peach Truck Hijackers Rakunelama
Genre categories Jennie – Ruby ‡ Chaeyoung – Lil Fantasy Vol. 1 Mark – The Firstfruit Nmixx – Blue Valentine Nmixx – Fe3O4: Forward Jennie – "Like Jennie" ‡ AllDay Project – "Famous" Hearts2Hearts – "Focus" Le Sserafim – "Spaghetti" Nmixx – "Blue Valentine" Lee Chan-hyuk – Eros ‡ Hyelyn Joo – Stereo Lim Hyun-jung – Extraordinary Song So-hee – Re:5 Yerin Baek – Flash and Core Lee Chan-hyuk – "Endangered Love" ‡ Hwasa – "Good Goodbye" Jowall – "Your Love as My Pretext" Lim Hyun-jung – "The Road to Me Is Beautiful" Yerin Baek – "Mirror" Wah Wah Wah & Noridogam – UBUBU ‡ Green Flame Boys – Greenroof Peach Truck Hijackers – Peach Truck Hijackers YB – Odyssey Lee Seung-yoon – "PunKanon" ‡ Bae Cheol-soo – "Ieodo Island (Parangdo Island)" Green Flame Boys – "True Heart" Uinone – "Apocalypse" Wah Wah Wah & Noridogam – "Uncertainty" Shin In Ryu – Shining Strike ‡ Gogohawk – Vol. 07 Hanroro – Jamong Salgu Club Huijun Woo – Pumping of Heart is Torturing Say Sue Me – Time is Not Yours Huijun Woo – "Spacious House" ‡ Hanroro – "Goodbye, My Summer" Jungwoo – "The Embers" Noridogam – "Truthbuster" Shin In Ryu – "Attack!" Kirara – Kirara ‡ Bojvck – UnderNationWide Effie – E Necta – Seoul Bizarre Yetsuby – 4EVA Melki – "Body Break" ‡ Effie – "Open Ur Eyes" Kirara – "Music" Naojusung – "Eternal Sunshine" Necta – "Lady Love" Sik-K & Lil Moshpit – K-Flip+ ‡ B-Free – Free the Mane 3 "Free the Mane vs. B-Free" Effie – Pullup to Busan 4 More Hyper Summer It's Gonna Be a Fuckin Movie Viceversa – Animal FKRY Yumdda – Breathe 4 Sik-K & Lil Moshpit – "LOV3" ‡ B-Free – "Nergal" C Jamm – "Layered" Effie – "Can I Sip 담배" Yumdda – "Irony" Yoon Da-hye – Wang ‡ Bibi – Eve: Romance Chudahye Chagis – Sosuminjok Jeebanoff – Misery Shinjihang – Nong Chudahye Chagis – "Heosse!" ‡ A.TRAIN – "Povidone" Hyelyn Joo – "Busy Boy" Rakunelama – "B" Yoon Da-hye – "Twin Flame" Kwon Tree – The Fragrance of Life ‡ Joung Tae-choon & Park Eun-ohk – Between Hard Rain Kim Hwal-sung – The Remnant Forest Lucid Fall – Elsewhere Sanmanhan – Sanmanhan 2 Kwon Tree – "Unknowingly, So Did I" ‡ Joung Tae-choon & Park Eun-ohk – "Between Hard Rain" Kim Chang-wan – "A Day" Kim Hwal-sung – "The Remnant Forest" Sanmanhan – "Heart of a Dog" Baan – Neumann ‡ Chain Reaction – A Love Supreme Dulom – Axiom Zero Loss of infection – 罰錢 Methkamel – Circle Gray by Silver – Time of Tree ‡ Jeon Jin-hee – 雨後 uuhu Jisu Jung & Baroque in Blue – Baroque in Blue Jung Eun-hye, Cadejo, & Yechan Kim – Namdo Calling Park Jiha – All Living Things Malo – Malo Live at Muddy ‡ Hakyung – Breathin In Maria Kim – Love Letters Oldie but Goodie – Oldie but Goodie Yunmi Kang & John Stowell – A Timeless Place Mijung Lim – Impromptu ‡ Shin Ah-ram – Bium Project II: After Bium Sumin Jung – Remnants Sunmi Hong – Fourth Page: Meaning of a Nest Yonglee & the Doltang – Invisible Worker
Special awards Lifetime Achievement Award – Songgolmae Selection Committee Special Award – CJ Cultural Foundation's Tune Up
Multiple awards The following artist(s) received two or more awards:
Count Artist(s) 3 Lee Chan-hyuk 2 Chudahye Chagis Huijun Woo Jennie Kwon Tree Lil Moshpit Sik-K
References